ISACA, the global association for information and technology (I&T)
audit, risk, governance and security professionals, has released its
first update to the COBIT framework in nearly seven years. The new
version, COBIT®
2019, provides comprehensive and more practical guidance to help
enterprises better govern and manage their information and technology.
The COBIT framework is used by enterprises in all industries around the
globe, and COBIT publications have been downloaded more than one million
times.

ISACA introduced COBIT in 1996 to provide and organize a set of controls
for IT. The new iteration of COBIT will come in four phases and will
include focus areas reflecting trends and priorities in technology
(e.g., DevOps, cybersecurity), updates aligned with the latest industry
standards, and a design guide that provides flexibility and guidance to
help organizations tailor a governance system to their needs.

“The COBIT framework has thrived for 20-plus years because it addresses
core business principles that are every bit as true now as they were in
the 1990s,” said Mark Thomas, a COBIT trainer and founder of Escoute
Consulting, who blogged about the COBIT update here.
“But it had become important to provide updated guidance related to key
drivers of the current technology landscape, and COBIT 2019 takes a big
step forward in that regard.”

The first phase, released today, includes:

COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction andMethodology—Details
governance principles, provides key concepts and examples, and lays
out the structure of the overall framework, including the COBIT Core
Model.

COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives—
Provides detailed description of the COBIT Core Model and its 40
governance/management objectives, which are defined and then matched
up with the related process, enterprise goals, and governance and
management practices.

Both are available to ISACA members and nonmembers free of charge at www.isaca.org/cobit,
and a complimentary tool kit is included.

Training courses and certificate programs will be released in January
and April.

Among the changes from COBIT 5, COBIT 2019 uses a maturity model based
on the CMMI Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration to assess
enterprises’ capability levels for each activity in COBIT. COBIT 2019
adds three additional management objectives (processes), as well as
design factors.

“COBIT 2019 provides world-class guidance that can increase the value
derived from information and technology assets through better governance
and management,” said ISACA Board Chair Rob Clyde, CISM. “This kind of
guidance spurs new growth and innovation while fortifying organizations
worldwide against threats and risks.”

COBIT 2019 helps enterprises govern information and technology—from a
single project-based implementation, to use by a particular team or
business unit, to full, enterprisewide implementation.

“COBIT 2019 offers enterprises flexibility to design practical
governance solutions specific to organizations’ business goals and their
specific context,” said Dirk Steuperaert, lead developer of COBIT 2019.
“Those that adopt COBIT 2019 will benefit from optimized resource use,
increased efficiency, and better management of their information and
technology.”

For more information about COBIT 2019 guidance, products and training,
visit www.isaca.org/cobit
or register for a free webinar here.